After months of revealing You Should Know Better piece by piece, Snowhaus have finally completed the picture.
The Portland outfit have spent the album rollout showing just how much can fit beneath their self-described “shred pop” sound. Indie, punk, Midwest emo and math rock all find their way into the mix, but it is Snowhaus’ combination of sharp songwriting, personality and energetic guitar work that keeps everything connected.
Some of You Should Know Better will already feel familiar. “need 2 make sound” kicked off the era with an honest look at the highs and lows of pursuing music, while “cereal killer” turned the story of a former housemate into a playful diss track packed with creative frustration and humour. “iron man” later offered another glimpse of just how varied the finished record was becoming.
Now those singles sit alongside tracks including “stop, drop, rock n’ roll,” “sin-bad,” “universe,” “undertow,” “origami” and “it’s a lie,” giving listeners the chance to experience this era as one complete project.
It is that variety that makes the album feel particularly fitting for Snowhaus. Their music has always left room for things to get a little weird, loud, emotional or playful, sometimes within the same song. You Should Know Better gives all of those sides somewhere to live.
There was already plenty of momentum behind the record too. Before its arrival, “cereal killer” had passed 20,000 Spotify streams, with “need 2 make sound” and “Slackjaw” also attracting thousands of listeners.
The singles gave listeners individual pieces of Snowhaus’ latest chapter. You Should Know Better finally shows what happens when you put them all together.
